Abduction hoax leads to charges for Shelburne woman

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An elaborate hoax of a would-be abductor in Amaranth has resulted in charges for a 32-year-old Shelburne woman.
On Friday (Nov. 16), the woman told police her car had overheated on 30th Sideroad sometime between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. She reportedly asked an older man in a blue pickup truck for a ride home, leading to her supposed abduction and assault.
The woman told police the man would not let her out of the truck and drove along backroads for about two hours.
She said she eventually escaped her captor and hid in a nearby bush for about a half hour. She then returned to her car and drove to report the incident to police.
On Wednesday (Nov. 21), Dufferin OPP announced its investigation into the matter was closed, stating the woman's allegations are false.
“It turned out to be nothing, but we have to follow things through and do a thorough investigation, in case it was legitimate,” said Const. Paul Nancekivell. “We spent some time looking into it. Unfortunately, sometimes this is the result.”
The woman even created a detailed description of the man who was about 70 years old with white gray unkempt hair, about 6’ tall, with a gray moustache, and visible hair on his neck, hands and ears.
She also said he had rotten teeth, with some missing on the right side of his mouth. She also said he was wearing dirty jeans, a plaid shirt, and a nylon navy vest with a diamond shaped pattern.
Nancekivell said police are not sure why the woman created the story.
“There’s some stress in her life, I guess,” Nancekivell said.
The woman's story led to detailed investigation by the Dufferin-Caledon OPP crime unit, which eventually determined her story is false. The woman, whose name was not released by police, is charged with public mischief.